Choose My Plate to Manage Gestational Diabetes

Choose My Plate to Manage Gestational Diabetes

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), through the center of Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP), prepares helpful tools to promote healthy nutrition for all (ChooseMyPlate.gov, n.d.).  With healthy nutrition being one of the key components in managing gestational diabetes, information from ChooseMyPlate may guide pregnant women in selecting nutritious foods.

Thanks to the visual representation of a plate with different colors, indicating specific food groups, a person may plan a healthy meal with ease.  The following colors are represented on My Plate: blue, (dairy), red (fruits), orange (grains), purple (protein), and green (vegetables) (ChooseMyplate.gov, n.d.).  In order to include all food groups, it is better to divide the items on the plate, by using half of the plate for each color/food, with one third of the plate filled with vegetables.  In addition to using the plate, the is an eight ounce cup of milk.  By using My Plate as a tool to build a nutritious plate on a daily basis, pregnant women will obtain a variety of nutrients from food.

For more information, please go to http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/      

References

ChooseMyPlate.gov (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from http://www.choosemyplate.gov/about.html